E-City Beat✓

Editors note: All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission contests in the June 4 primary election are Republican. HD21 candidate James Osterman did not submit a profile to E-City Beat. Here is the profile submitted by incumbent Ed Buttrey, unedited:

Personal Bio:

I am a 4^th generation Montanan, born in Helena and raised in Great Falls.  I have a degree in Electrical Engineering, and formerly worked out of State as a weapon’s systems designer.  Thankfully, I was able to return to Montana, where I get to live, work, raise my family and realize the beauty of Montana every day. 

I have served in the Montana State House since 2019, and formerly served in the Montana Senate (2011-2018) where I have held leadership positions in each of my legislative sessions.  I served as a two-term Majority Whip in the Montana Senate and currently serve as the Chairman of the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee as well as a member of the House Rules Committee, the House Health and Human Services Committee and the State Broadband Committee.

I have also served as a member of many community boards, as a Fire Department Captain, Emergency Medical Technician, Search and Rescue Diver, Chairman of the Great Falls International Airport Authority, and as a varsity football coach and radio announcer.  This service is only due to the amazing support of my wife Jessica, daughters Kenzy, Macy, TayLee and mother Joan, all living locally in Great Falls. 

Reasons for Running for Office:

As an advocate for public service, I continually strive to find unique solutions and ways to help the people in our community and HD21.  Becoming a member of the Montana Legislature has been a great honor and has allowed me to learn more about the issues and needs of our State and the people who call it home.  The Legislature has offered a unique opportunity to enact policies in Economic Development, Healthcare, protecting our Military assets and families, and to promote for the well-being of Montana families.  I thoroughly enjoy finding solutions to help people and this is why I have run and continue to run for public office.   

Top Challenges:

In these trying political times, there are a number of challenges faced by our community and State that I hope to address in the upcoming Legislative session.  First of all, we are facing an economic crisis nationwide and statewide where the costs of living (food, fuel, housing, taxes) are providing challenges for everyone.  Through responsible budgeting, regulation relief, and tax reform we can ensure that Montanans are able to keep more of their hard-earned money.  I am working hard with others on a plan to finally implement a property tax system that is affordable, responsible and fair. 

We must also keep State and local government responsible and efficient, getting out of the way of business innovation and success, promoting housing development with regulation relief, and ensuring that we have a healthy and reliable workforce for our businesses.  Government can be part of the solution, and should help when needed, but more importantly should get out of the way to allow for individual responsibility and innovation, and to let our families and businesses succeed. 

Finally, we have critical issues with drug related crime and mental health.  While some may choose to bury their heads in the sand and hope these issues go away, the truth is that these issues are impacting everyone in our Montana communities.  If re-elected, I will continue to work to ensure that resources are available to provide help for those that need it, want it and are willing to do the work.  Everyone deserves a chance to succeed, to be respected and to contribute to the success of our great State. 

Editors note: All of the local Great Falls/Cascade County legislative and county commission contests in the June 4 primary election are Republican. HD22 candidate James Whitaker did not submit a profile to E-City Beat. Here is the profile submitted by incumbent George Nikolakakos, unedited:

Name: George Nikolakakos
Office Sought: House District 22
Occupation: Businessman, U.S. Air Force (Retired)
Age: 44
Family: Wife (Melissa) Daughters (Story, Reagan, Melody, Abigail)
Education: BA, Excelsior College (U.S. History)
Military Experience: 20 years (Active USAF/Montana Air National Guard)
Organizational affiliations: NeighborWorks Montana (Director) Great Falls Development Alliance (Director) Veterans Treatment Court (Mentor)
Political Experience: Representative, House District 26 (Taxation, Human Services Committee)

It was the honor of my life to serve Montanans over the last legislative session. I’m running for re-election because I believe serving a cause greater than self is central to a well lived life and a healthy society. I was proud to pass seven bills over my first session cutting property taxes for low income seniors, boosting 2A rights and, as well as multiple bills cutting red tape for business. In the legislature I will continue to work hard at finding conservative solutions that address problems for hardworking Montanans.  

Last session was marked by conservative achievements. We met our duty to balance our budget and set the example for fiscal responsibility by bolstering our rainy day/fire funds. We paid down all existing state debt and established smart long-term trusts that will leverage and invest hundreds of millions in infrastructure, roads, firefighting, housing, and more. We shrank government and passed the largest tax relief in state history (over a billion dollars) both via long term income tax reductions as well as income/property tax rebates.

I am especially proud of the 300 million dollars we invested toward mental health infrastructure and the 40 million dollars we invested towards a health insurance trust supporting our teachers. From cutting taxes for military retiree pensions and enhancing service member spousal employment opportunities to investing in additional trades career & technical education space prohibits a full outline of the many legislative victories for Montana.

We still have work to do. Knocking doors in my district I continue to feel the pain inflicted by our broken property tax system. I am grateful to our Governor for appointing a task force of the brightest minds in our state to address the need for meaningful property tax reform. It is the most important responsibility facing our next legislature.  

We must focus on rebuilding our shrinking industrial tax base. A generation ago industry (mining, gas/oil, timber etc.) made up about 50% of our tax base. Today, as Montana has become a “scenery state” that burden has shifted to residential properties that now make up approximately 75% of the tax base. Long term solutions and pushing back against federal over-reach can resurrect our industrial base but in the meanwhile we can move on creative solutions like a homestead exemption (or something similar) for primary residences that would shift tax burden to the more than 1/5 homes in MT that are non-primary residences often owned by out of state folks. We should also boost sources of revenue that capture out of state tourist dollars as well as e-commerce and use them to pay down property taxes while boosting “circuit breaker” programs for those most in need.

Our state is also still running a surplus and we owe it to hardworking taxpayers to return it while also addressing critical mental health needs and the school funding formula.

In the legislature I will never forget that I have taken a step down to serve under people, not over them. I will work tirelessly to be of service to our community and always show up to listen and learn from people. I hope to earn the opportunity to continue serving Great Falls to the best of my ability.